tintuc@unishanoi.org UNIS Hanoi’s Weekly Community Newsletter
Volume 20, Edition 20, Friday 24 January
NEXT WEEK...
COMING SOON...
MONDAY, 27 JANUARY
TUESDAY, 11 FEBRUARY
MSHS Art Exhibition, Centre for the Arts, 27-29 Jan
TUESDAY, 28 JANUARY
Grade 8 Millenium Development Goals, 28-29 Jan
WEDNESDAY, 29 JANUARY
School will finish for students as normal at 2.30pm on Wednesday and buses will run as normal at 2.40pm. There are no ASAs (including Aquatics Academy) or UMA lessons on Wednesday 29 January. There will be no 3.40pm buses. However if your child is involved with HS Soccer, the teams will be practicing as normal and buses will run for those sports teams at 5pm.
WEDNESDAY, 12 FEBRUARY
Tet Holidays (Lunar New Year) School, Campus and Offices Closed 30 Jan-5 Feb School and Campus Closed/Offices Opened 6-7 Feb
UMA Session 3 Registration 12*-13 Feb *DATE CHANGE MYP/PYP Parent Workshop, Black Box 18:00-19:30
THURSDAY, 13 FEBRUARY
MS GIN Conference, JIS, Jakarta, 13-16 Feb MRISA Senior Basketball, SSIS, HCMC, 13-16 Feb MS Boys Soccer at UNIS & BVIS 16:00-18:00
FRIDAY, 14 FEBRUARY
THURSDAY, 30 JANUARY
ISIS Family Training Session for Parents 17:30-18:30, Black Box
ASA Session 3 Registration, 14-16 Feb New Parent Transition Workshop 8:30-10:00 Library Projection Room
SATURDAY, 15 FEBRUARY
ComEd Spring Session Begins
IN THIS WEEK’S TIN TUC - The Highlights... Notes from the Head of School (p.2) Notes from Admissions Office (p.2) ES Tet Assembly Photo Special (p.3) Discovery Field Trip (p.4)
Library News (p.8) New Workshops for Parents (p.9) Importance Notice - Canteen Lunch Vouchers (p.9) APAC Swimming (p.10)
Grade 1 Performing Arts Celebration Photo Special (p.4) Notes from the Speech and Language Therapist (p.5) K1 Needs You (p.5)
GO UNIS Blue Girl! (p.11) MRISA MS Soccer. Coming soon(p.10) UMA Updates (p.10) ASA Session 3 Registration (p.10)
PYP & MYP Info Sessions for parents (p.6) Transition Workshop for new Parents (p.7) Grade 10 Personal Project (p.7-8)
MSHS Art Exhbition (p.13) Brrrr, It’s cold outside! (p.13) Spring Fair is Calling (p.14) Job Opportunity (p.15)
Notes from the Head of School As we approach the most important holiday of the year for our Vietnamese community, I would like to wish everyone a happy and prosperous New Year of the Horse. We have some special TẾT activities for students throughout the day on today (Friday) and as mentioned last week our Tết bag delivery to those less fortunate will take place this weekend. Chúc mừng năm mới.
Welcome to UNIS Hanoi
Respectfully, Dr. Barder, hos@unishanoi.org
All School offices will close for business at 2pm on Wednesday January 29 to allow our local staff to leave promptly at 3pm for the start of the Tet Holidays. Teachers will return to work for Professional Development on Thursday February 6. School will reopen for students on Monday February 10. School offices will also reopen on Thursday February 6 with the exception of Admissions and Advancement which will reopen on Monday February 10 due to staff involvement in Professional Development.
Chúc Mừng Năm Mới
Please register your child by submitting an enquiry form at www.unishanoi.org. Applications will be available at the end of February. For assistance contact admissions@unishanoi.org or 37581551 extension 8220 / 8217.
Elementary TáşžT Assembly photo special
Discovery go on a field trip This week the children in Discovery went on their first school trip of the year. They showed they were real risk takers when they visited ‘Tet Gardens’ and viewed some beautiful flowers. They walked along wooden paths, looked at, smelt and gently touched the array of colourful flowers. The children had a picnic in one of the wooden huts and made some wonderful observational drawings of what they saw. An interesting and fun time was had by all!
The Grade 1’s Performing Arts Celebration on Thursday night was a great success. The evening started with a fun rap about the 3 Bears. Each class then showcased some of the work they had been doing in Drama, P.E., Music and English. There were some great sound effects and actions in the Drama performance. In Music the children sang in rounds and accompanied themselves on xylophones; they were able to explain and demonstrate their knowledge and
understanding of pitch to their parents. ‘Balance’ was the key in P.E. with the children creating individual, pair and team balances. Getting cozy on cushions with family, the children also shared lots of poems they had illustrated, innovated on or created. The finale of the evening was an answer, in song to the question, “Why is 6 afraid of 7?” because………… “7 ate 9”!
Notes from the Speech and Language Therapist Prior to the Tet Holiday, I will be completing hearing screenings for all NEW students in Discovery, Kindergarten 1, Kindergarten 2, and Grade 1, as well as for students who did not pass the screening in the Fall. The ability to hear properly is an important component in developing speech and language skills and for learning in general. As such, early detection of hearing loss is vital so that each child is able to get the full benefit of language learning experiences both within, and outside, the classroom.
The hearing screening is not a full audiological test which measures the softest sounds you are able to hear. The screening test measures whether or not you are able to hear at a level necessary to hear the sounds used in spoken language. Three sounds (low, medium, and high pitched) will be presented in each ear at the same loudness level. The majority of children 25dB Right Left will not have difficulty 1000Hz hearing all six tones and these children will be 2000Hz considered to have passed 4000Hz the screening. You will not receive individual notification that your child has passed the screening. You will however receive notification when your child’s class has completed the screening. If your child does not hear one or more of the sounds, you will be notified individually and one to two weeks later, your child will be re-screened. Following the re-screening, you will be notified if your child passed the screening or not.
The most common cause of hearing loss in children is otitis media (glue ear). Fluctuating hearing loss nearly always occurs with otitis media, whether or not the fluid is infected, due to the anatomy of the middle ear and the Eustachian tube. A build-up of fluid in the middle ear prohibits the movement of the bones which transmit sound from the ear drum to the inner ear. Ongoing fluid in the middle ear can cause permanent hearing loss.
It is possible that your child may not have been able to hear all the tones even during the re-screening. If this is the case, you will be asked to have your child’s hearing tested by an Audiologist or Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor (ENT) and to provide the school with a copy of the report. The school is able to provide referrals to community resources where the hearing test can be completed. I look forward to meeting with all the new children in the ECC and Grade 1 over the course of the next couple weeks. Please be in touch if you have any questions or concerns either prior to the screenings or after. Mary Pool, mpool@unishanoi.org
K1 needs you! Have you been on an exciting holiday? Do you have photographs, videos, maps, tickets, souvenirs or postcards to share? After the TET holiday, K1 will be tuning in to their new Unit of Inquiry and we would love for you to come and talk with us about your adventures. Click on this link to sign up!
New (and not so new) families, join us for a parent information session on the IB MYP. Find out what learning is like in G6-10 here at UNIS and learn more about how your child will be assessed. Where: Centre for the Arts - Black Box (B10-103) Date /time: Wednesday, February 12, 18:00-19:00 NB: This session is a repeat of the information evening offered in September. All UNIS families are welcome. To help with planning, please email myp-dpsecretary@unishanoi.org if you intend to join us.
If you are new to UNIS and Hanoi, please come and join the UNIS Counselors to talk about: The process of Transition Tips to Help Children Through Transition Suggestions for Adapting to Your New Location Date: Friday, February 14 Time: 8:30-10:00 am Location: Library Projection Room
Grade 10 students are in the final weeks of their personal project, aiming to finish their independent inquiry. This will result in a product and a project report. They will also submit a process journal which they have been keeping throughout the project. Deadline:
Tuesday, 18 February, 6pm (process journal, product, report)
Four drop-in support sessions remain before the deadline. A teacher will be available for questions and support during the times below. These are not formal sessions but a time for them to work on their project and ask questions when necessary.
Exhibition:
Tuesday, 25 February, 6pm Centre for the Arts Special invitation to G10 parents; open to school community
Drop-in sessions: Saturday, 25 January
10am-12pm
Thursday, 13 February
3:30-5pm
Tuesday, 28 January
3:30pm-4:30pm
Saturday, 15 February
10am-12pm
Location: either library or B5-127; refer to poster on campus In case of questions, please contact your child’s supervisor or Sibylle Harth, mypcoordinator@unishanoi.org.
My name is Surabhi and I am a Grade 10 student. In the MYP, students are required to do a project called the personal project. For this project, students are encouraged to choose a topic in which they are interested in and are expected to create a product on their own with the help of a supervisor. I am writing a book which talks about the journey of communication, how it has developed and what are its negative and positive effects. This book also involves the lifestyle of teenagers and the usage of social networking
sites by them. In addition, it briefly talks about the concerns and opinions of parents on social networking sites. For my book, I need some information regarding the opinions of parents . Can I please request you to fill in a survey which will help me improve my book. Please Click here to fill in the survey. I will be very grateful if you take some time and answer the questions on the survey. It will just take2 minutes, not more than that. Thank you so much! Surabhi SUNDARAM
Zinio Ipad
Zinio Desktop
To access, register and log on, find the link at UNIS Portal - Library - Online Resources MSHS Here is a sample of some of the available eMagazines!
results will be available on ISIS family after the holiday. If you have questions about your own child, please refer directly to the homeroom or subject teacher. An information evening will be held by the Teaching and Learning Centre for any parents that would like to know more about the test in general, or to find out how to interpret the results.
We are pleased to welcome Kit Green and Russell Fryer from the Hanoi Counseling Psychology Group to UNIS Hanoi on Friday, February 28 from 8:30 – 10:00 in the Library Projection Room.
MONDAY 17 FEBRUARY, 18:00 – 19:00
Kit and Russell will be leading a workshop for parents on effective parenting strategies for appropriate technology usage. Specific topics to be discussed include:
B7 community room
The realities of technology usage What is “over-use” of technology and is there a danger
of addiction? Parenting strategies to promote the appropriate use of
technology What parents can do if they are concerned about their
child’s use of technology As this is often a topic of parent questions and concerns, we look forward to seeing many of our UNIS Hanoi parents there. If you have specific questions you would like considered during the presentation, please email your child’s counselor so this information can be passed on to Kit and Russell. Hanoi Counseling Psychology Group.
IMPORTANT NOTICE - CANTEEN LUNCH VOUCHERS
A new design for lunch vouchers with additional security checks will be introduced after the Tet Vacation. All lunch vouchers currently in circulation will be redeemable until March 1, after which date only the new lunch vouchers will be accepted by the canteen. Existing vouchers may be exchanged for food at the canteen or for new vouchers from the canteen ticket sales desk when they become available after the Tet vacation. Any tickets bought from the canteen or given as change by the canteen are legitimate and you will not be refused service.
Only purchase tickets from the canteen and do not to accept tickets from any other source.
Security checks on the existing tickets will be reinforced.
We apologize for any inconvenience and we will send reminders nearer the deadline to ensure that all families have sufficient time to exchange or redeem their vouchers. For any questions please contact advancement@unishanoi.org Sincerely, The Advancement Office
This year the APAC Swim Meet was held in Hong Kong at the Hong Kong International School. Over two hundred swimmers competed in this meet from ten schools. In addition to UNIS Hanoi, participating schools included the International School of Beijing, Brent International School Manila, American International School Guangzhou, Concordia International School Shanghai, Shanghai American School/ Puxi, Seoul Foreign School, Shanghai American School/ Pudong, Hong Kong International School and the Western Academy of Beijing. For the first time ever UNIS Hanoi brought a full team of 12 boys to this meet. The girls nearly matched the number with 11 attending. UNIS Hanoi swimmers broke 9 team records! Record breakers included Matteu Motyl in the 50 Freestyle and 50 Butterfly; Jackson Wood in the 50 Backstroke, 100 Backstroke and 200 Freestyle; Duc Hiep Nguyen in the 50 Breaststroke, 100 Breaststroke, 100 Individual Medley and 200 Individual Medley. The Girls Team finished 7th and the Boys Team finished 8th. Emma Simson van Dijkhuize finished 11th
in the Girls 50 Breaststroke. Emma also swam on the Girls 200 Medley Relay team with Kiana Freeman, Sofie Brondum-Reeh and Marielle Wik which placed 6th. For the boys, Duc Hiep Nguyen placed 10th in the 100 Individual Medley and 12th in the 50 Breaststroke. Most of the swim team members have been training since August and were rewarded with strong improvements in all their events. With only six seniors leaving us this year, the swim team will return next year with more experience and even stronger results! Our swimmers enjoyed the refreshing sunny weather and the beautiful views of the harbor from the school’s lunch area. Swimmers and coaches were grateful that UNIS Hanoi does not have as many stairs as HKIS! Coach Andy Myers and Coach Ella Jaranova extend their congratulations to all swimmers for their performance at APAC. We also send extra thanks to Quynh Nguyen for his Pilates instruction throughout the season. All results, APAC records can be found on Aquatics Page and the photos can be found here.
Congratulations to the UNIS Hanoi MS Girls Blue Soccer team and their coach, Mr. Pho Nguyen, for their 1st place finish in last weekend’s 7-Aside Soccer Tournament at UNIS Hanoi. The girls did not lose any of their four games on the day, and managed a narrow 1-0 victory over Concordia International School in the Championship final of the “B” Division. Well done girls!! In the “A” Division, the UNIS Hanoi MRISA girl’s team also had a very successful day, although they were playing against some older and more experienced opposition. Matched up against a high school team from Viet Uc, our own UNIS high school girls, and a team of UNIS female staff members, the MRISA girls did extremely well. They earned a spot in the Championship final against the female staff team, and after holding them to a scoreless draw through regulation and extra time, it was only penalty kicks that saw them go down to defeat. The girls and their coaches, Ms. Reilly and Ms. Hellstrom, should be very proud of their efforts! Both UNIS boys teams, MRISA and UNIS Blue, also participated in the tournament. Despite being very competitive against some strong opposition, neither team advanced to the championship final in their division. The boys are being coached by Mr. Humphries and Mr. Phi Nguyen. We wish both teams the best of luck in the remainder of their season! UNIS Hanoi will be hosting the MRISA Middle School Soccer Tournament on February 21-22. UNIS is the defending champions in both boys and girls. We are still in
Soccer Blue Girls
Soccer MRISA Girls need of host families for this event, so please contact the Activities Office at cocurricular@unishanoi.org or call 04.37581551 Ext 8720 if you can help out. Dirk Kraetzer, Director of activities da@unishanoi.org
On February 20-23 teams from the seven other MRISA schools will join our UNIS Hanoi boys and girls in competing for the 2014 MRISA MS Soccer Championship. The tournament itself will take place over two days – February 21 and 22.
the following attachments to give you additional information about hosting:
For this tournament UNIS Hanoi will be hosting 120 visiting athletes. We still really need help from the UNIS school community in providing homestay accommodations for our guests. If you could help support this school-wide event, by having some visiting athletes stay at your home, we would really appreciate your contributions. Please read
To sign-up to be a host family for MRISA Soccer, please complete this form and return it to the UNIS Hanoi Activities Office as soon as possible.
MRISA Jr. Soccer Hosting Letter Host Family Expectations
Thank you for supporting UNIS Hanoi Activities!! GO PHOENIX!!!
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ms. Ha who stepped in and took over the temporary UMA officer just before session 2 and professionally and efficiently managed all of the intricacies of the role. I would also like to introduce our new UMA officer Ms. Trang who will be with us until the end of the year.
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More information about the sign up process will be sent to you from the Activities office soon. Year-long students and those who have indicated they will continue from session 2 are already in our ISIS system and do NOT need to sign up. For those who have yet to try out our individualized expert music tuition from highly acclaimed musicians - we have new teachers, more spaces and extra rooms. Come along and visit our UMA officer in the Centre for the Arts or email umaofficer@unishanoi.org if you have any questions.
On Thursday the ABRSM Senior International Operations Executive, James Welburn, and Hanoi ABRSM representative, Ms. Loan visited UNIS Hanoi. Together we discussed our processes and procedures for students who have signed up to take their internationally recognized instrumental and theory exams through the Associated Board for the Royal School of Music www.abrsm.org. Several of the UNIS Music Academy teachers, our UMA officer and UMA supervisor attended a two hour informative discussion with James and Loan. Our ABRSM syllabus books will arrive next week so students who have signed up to take exams in March or June will begin working on this material during their lessons after Tet. Additional lessons closer to the exam time will also be arranged.
Be sure to mark your diaries for the first UMA student concert on Feb 27th from 18:00-19:30 in the Centre of the Arts where you will be able to listen to some of our students and teachers perform and share their progress and growth.
Activities Office (Cocurricular@unishanoi.org) if you any questions. Dirk Kraetzer, Director of Activities da@unishanoi.org
After-School Activities (ASAs) are for students in Discovery through Grade 12. All UNIS parents and students in Grades 5-12 should be checking their emails for information regarding the first ASA session of the school year. Information will be sent out next week, prior to the start of the Tet Holidays. Everything that you will need to know about registration and the activities that are available will be explained in that communication. Please do not hesitate to contact the Co-Curricular
Please come and see the outstanding work produced by UNIS Hanoi students in the first semester The MSHS art exhibition has examples of work from Grades 6-10 who took visual art in the first quarter. There is Grade 6 relief print and paintings inspired by life in Vietnam, Grade 7 clay and ink drawings inspired by mythology, Grade 8 stop motion animation and film created during Reel youth workshops, Grade 9 Mash ups of master pieces and clay figures, Grade 10 portraits and conceptual art. There are also a number of Developmental workbooks displayed so can read about the process students underwent to create their work.
Wearing the appropriate winter clothing is a good idea for our students at UNIS. Dressing in layers can be useful as they can keep warm and dry when playing outside. Layers can easily be removed should your child get too hot. Let’s help protect ourselves and others and limit the risk of colds and flu by dressing according to the weather and not the latest fashion statement.
For extreme cold, the innermost layers (next to the skin) should be made of a material that can “wick” away moisture. Non- absorbent material works the best. Cotton will retain moisture and if wet, will result in a loss of body heat no matter how many layers you have on! The middle layer should insulate – polar fleece, down, or wool are good insulating materials. Finally, the outermost layer, should protect from wind and water. Don’t forget socks as well!
Don’t forget most of a person’s body heat is lost through the top of their head so helping your child to follow these simple tips will keep them warm and prevent them from getting too cold.
Did you know that drinking liquids is important in colder weather? It’s true! As people breathe in and out, the body loses a large volume of water! Winter is an exciting time to play outside, but make sure you and your children are well prepared and well – dressed for the occasion otherwise, they will be at home and not learning in the classroom which is where we all want them to be! UNIS Nurse Team
When: Saturday March 13, 11am - 4pm FIRST COUNTRY TABLE MEETING: Thursday Feb 13th from 8:30am – 10:00am in the Community Room
The UNIS Spring Fair is first and foremost a celebration diversity and community and is the largest event organized by the School Community Organization. Going strong for over 18 years, this event has evolved from what was previously called the ‘PTA Bazaar’ to an ‘International Food Fair’ and now the renown ‘UNIS Spring Fair'. This event has grown into a school-wide festival of diversity that weaves the UNIS community together through the showcasing and celebration of culture through food, artisanship and attire.
The Spring Fair is completely organized by the hard work of our committed volunteers. We are looking for ALL countries in the UNIS Hanoi Community to be represented. The key ingredients for a successful Spring Fair are a positive attitude, willingness to get involved, some time and your passion to make this day inspirational. You will feel proud to be part of an event that bonds the community together and creates our special blend of UNIS Hanoi Culture.
Currently, we are looking for people to help in the following areas: Country Table Representatives: Get together with families from your country/world region and organize a booth to celebrate the cultural diversity at UNIS. This is the soul of the event and it would be wonderful to have all community groups represented. Please contact the Country Tables Coordinator - Michiko Kadono at michikokadono@gmail.com for more information on how to organize a Country Table. Garage Sale Stands: Time for a Spring Cleaning? Want to get rid of extra furniture? Have your children outgrown their toys? The extremely popular Garage Sale is the perfect opportunity for you sell your old belongings and find a new home for items you no longer need. To book a table please contact, Pippa Wood at pippa.phoenix@gmail.com Commercial Stalls: Do you have a Family-Owned Small Business? If so, would you be interested in having a Commercial Stall at the Spring Fair? Commercial stalls are available for hire to anyone in the UNIS Community (parents, faculty, staff or students). To reserve a space email Paulina Pineda at paulinapineda@hotmail.com Entertainment: This year we would like to invite any students, parents or staff that may wish to do so, to perform during the event. If you would like to sing, dance or maybe do a magic show, please contact Paulina Pineda at paulinapineda@hotmail.com WE NEED YOU ALL to make this another memorable event for our community!!! If you want to help the coordination team please contact Paulina Pineda at paulinapineda@hotmail.com. THANK YOU!!!
UNIS Hanoi has experienced steady year-on-year growth in our student population, which currently stands at over 1,000 students from 66 different countries. We are now accepting applications for a Advancement Assistant. The position is located in the Advancement Office and will report to the Community Liaison Officer. Responsibilities The Advancement Assistant supports the Advancement Director and team as required in delivering the goals of the Advancement Programme. Specifically tasks will include:
Communications and marketing support: Maintaining an accurate school calendar Maintaining and updating the organisation of the new
media database Manage the logistics and organisation for School Photo
Days Assist with maintaining the School website and social
media, including monitoring references to UNIS Hanoi for Press Cuttings file or for response/action from the School
Event support: Assist with all event preparation and clerical support
including UN Day celebrations, Community events and special visitors.
Data and fundraising support Assist in maintaining the Advancement database
including routine data entry and basic reporting Assisting the Scholarship Programme process
required by the team, including petty cash and expenses claims/travel arrangements Perform other duties as required by the Supervisor
Position requirements: University Degree Excellent English and Vietnamese Proficient with Technology (Microsoft Office, Adobe
Photoshop, In Design etc) and a keen interest/ experience in online publishing (ie. Dreamweaver, Wordpress, blog, photo galleries, social media etc) Excellent attention to detail both in data entry and in
presentation skills Organised and logical in approach to tasks Reliable with tasks and deadlines “Can-Do” attitude with clear and open communication
style Service orientated to team and wider community Quick learner with excellent listening skills and ready to
ask questions Keen to learn and apply new knowledge/skills
In return, UNIS offers an attractive work environment, competitive remuneration, and professional development opportunities.
Application closing date: 14 February 2014 Interested applicants please send your expression of interest, along with an up-to-date CV and current referees to jobs@unishanoi.org Ms Vu Ngoc Thanh, Human Resources Officer United Nations International School of Hanoi
Data processing for all Advancement surveys Gather and create data reports as required for internal
use by the department or to assist with external publications
Department support Assist with the storage and filing systems for the team
and department both online and on campus, including routine office filing, the merchandise inventory and managing event resources (decorations, plates etc) Assist with scheduling meetings, managing the
department calendar and keeping minutes for internal meetings Assist with necessary documentation and paperwork as
UNIS Hanoi is a not-for-profit international school offering all three International Baccalaureate Programmes from Discovery to Grade 12. UNIS Hanoi is also fully accredited by the Council of International Schools and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.